The prior art related to rodent control includes various examples in which bait is placed on a trigger plate to attract a rodent. Movement of the trigger plate by a rodent causes a spring loaded member to trap the rodent. In prior art traps, after the trap has been activated, the user disposes of the trap along with the rodent. The need to dispose of the trap after a one-time use is both costly and inconvenient for professional sanitarians who typically utilize a large number of traps in order to clear rodents from a large industrial facility.
Another problem found in prior art rodent traps is related to the situation in which the bait which has been placed on the trigger plate is often removed from the trap by a rodent without activation of the trap. This renders the trap useless for rodent removal.
The above problems are clearly evidenced in a typical prior art rodent trap such as the trap shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,415,544 to Leyerle, et al, for “Rodent Trap With Entrapping Teeth.” In this trap, the entire trap is disposed of along with the entrapped rodent.